Mud Volleyball Tournament Fundraiser Event Supporting the Water

Western Michigan University
ScholarWorks at WMU
Honors Theses
Lee Honors College
11-18-2015
Mud Volleyball Tournament Fundraiser Event
Supporting the Water Project
Morgan Deboer
Western Michigan University, deboermorgan@yahoo.com
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Deboer, Morgan, "Mud Volleyball Tournament Fundraiser Event Supporting the Water Project" (2015). Honors Theses. Paper 2681.
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2015 WMU Mud Volleyball Tournament Autumn Gammon & Morgan DeBoer 11/18/2015 Executive Summary The WMU Mud Volleyball Tournament took place on September 26, 2015 as Autumn Gammon and Morgan DeBoer’s honors thesis project for the Lee Honors College. The tournament was a fundraising event that helped bring awareness to The Water Project, a non-­‐profit organization that is dedicated to bringing clean water systems to communities throughout Sub-­‐Sahara Africa. Held at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center and Fairgrounds, the event brought together Western Michigan University students and surrounding community members for a fun-­‐filled day in the mud supporting a deserving cause. The event took a great deal of organizing, with planning starting in the fall of 2014. With both Autumn and Morgan being event management minors, there was minimal background knowledge of organizing an event but nothing that would have prepared the two for fully developing an event on their own. Luckily, the pair was overseen by a thesis chair, Dr. James Lewis of the Human Performance and Health Education Department, and a committee member, Dr. Ann Veeck of the Marketing Department. Along with the help of various sponsors and numerous volunteers, a successful tournament was held. Coordination of the event included finding a location to host the event, sponsors to help cover event costs, all marketing and promotion for the event, and the organization of volunteers to help with event day activities. It was no surprise that a number of obstacles arose during the planning process. It ranged everywhere from finding a site to host the event, down to how the bracket of the volleyball tournament was going to be set up. The challenges were constantly present but the generous support that was received from family and friends greatly outweighed the troubles. Instead, of the 40 teams that were originally expected for the tournament, 7 teams ended up registering. This proved to be best for both the event coordinators and the participating teams. For the coordinators, running a tournament with only 7 teams was a lot easier to manage for a first time event, than a tournament would have been with 40 teams. As for the participants, having a lower number of teams participating allowed them to have a greater amount of playing time and really get their money’s worth. Overall, the tournament went very well with participants asking about the event continuing in the future and The Water Project receiving a $350 donation from funds raised through team registrations. It provided a great learning opportunity for Autumn and Morgan for what is entailed in organizing and implementing an event from the ground up. The following report is an in-­‐depth analysis of all aspects of the 2015 WMU Mud Volleyball Tournament. 1 | P a g e Table of Contents Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Project Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Event Beneficiary ......................................................................................................................................... 5 The Water Project .................................................................................................................................... 5 Market Analysis ........................................................................................................................................... 6 Primary Market ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Secondary Market ................................................................................................................................... 6 Marketing Tactics .................................................................................................................................... 6 Bronco Bash ............................................................................................................................................. 7 Event Website .......................................................................................................................................... 7 Social Media ............................................................................................................................................ 9 Advertising ................................................................................................................................................. 11 Tournament Flyer .................................................................................................................................. 11 Campus Handout ................................................................................................................................... 11 Press Release ......................................................................................................................................... 11 Event Personnel ......................................................................................................................................... 12 Volunteers ............................................................................................................................................. 12 Event Location ........................................................................................................................................... 14 Operations ................................................................................................................................................. 15 Event Preparations ................................................................................................................................ 15 Food Truck Requirements ...................................................................................................................... 16 Volunteer Operations ............................................................................................................................ 17 Team Registration .................................................................................................................................. 17 Event Day ............................................................................................................................................... 17 Financial Data ............................................................................................................................................ 19 Budget ................................................................................................................................................... 19 Sponsors ................................................................................................................................................ 19 Prize Donations ...................................................................................................................................... 20 Closing Reflections ..................................................................................................................................... 22 Appendix .................................................................................................................................................... 23 Appendix A ............................................................................................................................................ 23 2 | P a g e Appendix B ............................................................................................................................................. 25 Appendix C ............................................................................................................................................. 26 Appendix D ............................................................................................................................................ 27 Appendix E ............................................................................................................................................. 29 Appendix F ............................................................................................................................................. 30 Appendix G ............................................................................................................................................ 32 Appendix H ............................................................................................................................................ 33 Appendix I .............................................................................................................................................. 34 Appendix J .............................................................................................................................................. 36 Appendix K ............................................................................................................................................. 39 Appendix L ............................................................................................................................................. 41 Appendix M ........................................................................................................................................... 43 Appendix N ............................................................................................................................................ 44 Appendix O ............................................................................................................................................ 45 Appendix P ............................................................................................................................................. 47 Appendix Q ............................................................................................................................................ 49 Appendix R ............................................................................................................................................. 51 Appendix S ............................................................................................................................................. 54 Appendix T ............................................................................................................................................. 55 Appendix U ............................................................................................................................................ 56 Appendix V ............................................................................................................................................. 58 Appendix W ........................................................................................................................................... 59 3 | P a g e Project Overview The project presented in the following report is a synopsis of event planning principles used to organize and implement a mud volleyball tournament as a Lee Honors College Honors Thesis Project. In the planning process for the tournament, past knowledge from event courses taken at Western Michigan University was used as guidance, along with help from thesis chair, Dr. James Lewis, and committee member, Dr. Ann Veeck. The project’s goal was to gain an increased understanding of event planning while raising money and awareness for a non-­‐profit organization. The non-­‐profit organization benefiting from this tournament was The Water Project. Additional objectives set were a fundraising goal of $1,000, the creation of an annual charity event, the generation of relationships with the Kalamazoo community for prize donations and sponsorships, and bringing together Western Michigan University RSOs. A Mud Volleyball Tournament was chosen as a way to raise money for The Water Project, because it would be an entertaining and unique way for the students at Western Michigan University and the surrounding community members to get involved with each other while helping a great cause. Mud volleyball tournaments have become increasingly popular over the past few years and like a traditional volleyball game, there are a number of teams, six players each, competing in a bracket style tournament. The difference between the two is the added element of water. The ground for the court is rototilled and thoroughly hosed down during the days leading up to the event to make thick mud, which allows for a difficult but comical game of volleyball. As with any project of this size volunteers were used as event day support. With the help, guidance and monetary support from donors the mud volleyball tournament was made a success. 4 | P a g e Event Beneficiary The Water Project The Water Project, Inc. was chosen as the sole beneficiary of the WMU Mud Volleyball Tournament. They were chosen to be the recipient of all event profits made from paid registrations of teams because of the deserving cause they support, as well as how appropriately the organization’s mission ties into the idea of “getting dirty to get clean.” The Water Project, Inc. is a non-­‐profit organization that is devoted to providing sustainable water projects to communities in sub-­‐Saharan Africa who suffer from a lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation. Current programs are taking place in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Uganda, and Sierra Leone. The map below shows locations of some of the projects The Water Project has undertaken. A more extensive map can be viewed on The Water Project website at www.thewaterproject.org. http://thewaterproject.org/our-­‐water-­‐projects The organization has served these African communities, as well as others, over the past several years, and continues to do so today, in order to help them gain access to clean and safe water. The Water Project's staff and partners work together to provide training, expertise and financial support for various projects under construction in order to assist in the development and growth of these sub-­‐Saharan African communities. The Water Project, Inc. helps communities dig wells, construct small dams, catch rainwater, protect fresh-­‐water springs, filter surface water, and maintain proper sanitation and hygiene practices. Through The Water Project’s programs they are able to create and develop long lasting relationships with the communities in which they work. 5 | P a g e Market Analysis Primary Market The primary group targeted for the mud volleyball tournament was Western Michigan University students. This group is comprised of 18 to 24 year olds that are active and have been playing volleyball or other sports for years. They were considered as 75% of the participant base. Advertising for this group was done through social media, flyers around Western Michigan University’s campus, and through hosting a booth at the 2015 Bronco Bash. This age group is focused on creating good times and lasting memories with their friends. However, this group is often money conscious when making decisions on how to create these memories. The biggest challenge when marketing to this group was making sure the money associated with the tournament was relevant to the amount of playing time participants would receive. Secondary Market The secondary market for this event is the surrounding community members, most likely families, who make up the remaining 25% of the participate base. This group is comprised of adults ages 30 to 50 and teenagers 15 to 18. Advertising for this group was focused on flyers displayed in businesses and printed advertising that was distributed around the community. This group was targeted for their desire to help worthwhile causes and need to stay engaged, active, and involved in their community. This market also values quality family time, leaving the challenge of creating an event that the whole family can enjoy. Marketing Tactics To reach the two main target markets of the mud volleyball tournament a number of different marketing tactics were used. To reach the primary market of Western Michigan University students, social media was seen as the best approach. With Facebook and Twitter, student followers were able to receive information regarding event time, location, and the registration process. Various forms of printed advertising were also used to reach both market groups. Event printed media included 11x17 inch and 8.5x11 inch posters that were distributed around Western Michigan University’s campus and to businesses in the surrounding Kalamazoo community. Postcard sized flyers were also distributed to students on campus during Bronco Bash. The majority of all advertising was targeted towards Western Michigan University students because of the large portion of participants that were hoped to be gained from the group. Aside from the traditional print and social media advertising that was used to promote the mud volleyball tournament, an additional marketing tactic was employed. A press release was given to all local news stations the week leading up to the event to be released to the community to help attract both participants and spectators. 6 | P a g e Bronco Bash The WMU Mud Volleyball Tournament shared a booth with the Lee Honors College at the 2015 Bronco Bash. Bronco Bash is an event held at Western Michigan University every year to promote campus organizations and surrounding community businesses. To obtain a free booth at Bronco Bash a group must be either a registered student organization or a Western Michigan University academic department. Because the Mud Volleyball Tournament was technically neither, the Lee Honors College agreed to share their table in order to eliminate the $175 booth fee that would have had to been incurred if the Mud Volleyball Tournament had had its own booth. The goal of hosting a booth at Bronco Bash was to attract the primary market of Western Michigan students to the event, making them aware of the event and get them interested in playing. To attract people to the booth, a large 8ft by 3ft banner, with the Mud Volleyball Event logo, was hung on the table. Once at the booth, there was a handmade wheel (see picture) that individuals could spin to try to win prizes. The various prizes that could be won consisted of candy, event logoed stress balls, and Mardi Gras beads with an attached tag directing individuals to the event website and urging teams to register for the tournament. At the booth, students were also informed of the event and how it was associated with the Lee Honors College. Students also had the opportunity to sign up to receive additional emails regarding the event, and were given a postcard hand out to take home. All of which was intended to help remind them of the event later on. Event Website A website was created using Weebly to host all information about the mud volleyball tournament. The website was comprised of multiple tabs, including one for The Water Project, registration, volunteers, sponsors, donation information, and contact information. The goal of the site was to provide individuals interested in the event with any information they might desire. The main homepage of the website included the reason behind choosing to host a mud volleyball tournament, with an initial mentioning of The Water Project Non-­‐Profit Organization as the beneficiary of the event. Basic information regarding the tournament was also given. The event date and location, 7 | P a g e as well as tournament style and setup were all provided within easy access of the main home page. The idea was to give those interested, a quick overview of what they could expect from the event. The next tab was for The Water Project. Being the sole beneficiary of the tournament, it was important to publicize the organization and cause being supported. This page provided general information on The Water Project and the work they do in African communities. It was mentioned here that all profits raised from the event would be donated directly to the organization and also provided access to The Water Project’s website through a clickable link. The “Registration” page was setup for teams interested in playing in the tournament. The page allowed a designated team captain to fully register their team for the tournament, along with providing additional information on the registration process. Once a team registered through the website, their designated team captain received an email from PayPal, asking them to pay their registration fee. There was also a page on the website for those who were interested in volunteering for the event. The “Volunteers” page provided information on when and where the event was and the various jobs and shifts in which volunteers were needed for the tournament. At the bottom of the page, individuals were able to register to volunteer for the event, and identify both their first and second choices in jobs. After registering, the individual was sent first a confirmation email and then after careful organization, they received a second email with their designated job and additional information needed for the day of the event. The “Sponsors” page was used to thank all of the generous sponsors that helped make the tournament possible. This event could not have happened without the numerous monetary donations as well as the tangible equipment and prize donations that were received. Knowing that sponsors were going to play a major role in the event, it was agreed to publicly thank them on the website for their support. A page was also created to allow those visiting the website to make donations. From the “Donations” page, individuals interested in donating to the event had access to the event’s GoFundMe page, through a clickable link, where they could donate to the event. If individuals instead wanted to donate directly to The Water Project, there was a link that directed visitors to the mud volleyball tournament’s campaign on The Water Project website. The last section of the website was the “Contact Us” section. Creating a website that allowed for individuals to register for the event, either as teams or as volunteers, it was certain that questions would arise. To counter the complexity of the different registration processes, as well as providing a way to answer any other questions that may have surfaced a contact page was created. The idea was that individuals could contact the main email account set up for the event through submitting their questions directly from the website. Additional contact information was also provided, along with links to the event’s social media accounts. The website can be accessed at: http://wmumudvolleyball.weebly.com 8 | P a g e Social Media Social media was another component used as part of the event’s marketing tactics. The primary sites that were focused on were Facebook and Twitter. The accounts were made in mid-­‐summer but were not really used for targeting the audience until late summer to early fall when classes at Western Michigan University started back up for the semester. Posts were targeted at friends and family members who may have had interest in the event, and various WMU accounts, such as WMU Club Volleyball and WMU Hockey. The hope was to make individuals aware of the event and have them spread the word to others. Facebook Twitter 6/25/15 6/25/15 6/29/15 6/29/15 6/29/15 6/29/15 7/6/15 7/6/15 7/6/15 8/17/15 8/17/15 8/9/15 8/9/15 9/11/15 9/11/15 9/16/15 9/16/15 9/18/15 9/18/15 9/23/15 The table above highlights the dates in which posts were made on Facebook and Twitter. Facebook was used a couple more times because the posts were able to reach a greater number of people because of a higher number of followers and higher engagement from those followers. 9 | P a g e Number Reached Facebook Post Reach 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Post Number Facebook Post Engagment Number Engaged 12 10 8 6 Post Clicks 4 Likes 2 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Post Number The two graphs above show that the later Facebook posts, which occurred closer to the date of the event, had much higher reach and engagement. Facebook friends were not only clicking on the posts to read more, but were also “liking” and “sharing” the posts with their friends. This increased engagement brought a greater awareness to the Facebook page, which provided additional information on the event such as date, time, and location, as well as information on The Water Project. Through the increased page views, knowledge of the event improved. The Facebook page can be viewed at www.facebook.com/wmumudvolleyball, and the Twitter page can be viewed at www.twitter.com/WMUMudVBall. 10 | P a g e Advertising Tournament Flyer The tournament flyer (Appendix Q) was designed to bring awareness to the mud volleyball tournament and The Water Project. It provided all of the basic information needed for individuals looking to learn more about the event, including the date, time, location, team registration, and event details. The flyer was printed in two sizes, 8.5x11, and 11x17. The flyers were then distributed around Western Michigan University’s campus, on all major information boards and in various buildings, as well as at different businesses around the community. The flyers were printed at the Copy Desk shop in the Bernhard Center on campus. For 50 copies of each size, the total cost for the flyers was $78.23. After being printed, the flyers that were to be displayed on campus were approved by the SALP office. This process took a couple of weeks, but once approved the distribution process around campus and the community went quickly with the help of Dr. Lewis’s students and friends. Campus Handout The campus handout (Appendix Q) was designed to quickly inform students of the event while they made their rounds at Bronco Bash. The simple 5 W’s design was used to be informative and provide the basic information of the event and then direct those interested in the tournament, to the event website for more information. At Bronco Bash, the flyer was distributed to everyone who stopped by the Lee Honors College booth. Along with the flyers, promotional giveaways of candy, Mardi Gras beads, and event logoed stress balls, were given to students to get their attention and make them aware of the event. After Bronco Bash, the left over handouts were distributed around campus. Five hundred handouts were ordered from FedEx Kinkos with all costs covered by an event sponsor. Press Release An additional form of advertising used to promote the mud volleyball tournament was a press release. The press release was written for major news stations in the Kalamazoo area to inform the community of the event. The main goal of the press release was to target the secondary market of surrounding community members. The majority of the marketing for the event was targeted either on Western Michigan’s campus or at the businesses nearby. The press release was a great way to get the word out to the greater community and help encourage them to both participate and attend the tournament. See Appendix N for full press release. 11 | P a g e Event Personnel All successful events need a team behind them and the mud volleyball tournament was no exception. As an honors thesis, Morgan DeBoer and Autumn Gammon assumed most of the responsibility, but gratefully accepted the support of a core group of individuals who offered helpful ideas from expertise in their fields, and help as volunteers. Volunteers Volunteers were a key component to the success of the mud volleyball tournament. Dr. Lewis was an integral part in obtaining enough volunteers to help the event run smoothly. His HPHE 3710 class was required to volunteer for the event for at least half of the day. To see volunteer job descriptions see Appendix I. Volunteers for the event were as follows: Friday Volunteers: • Sarah S • Meika A • Daniel S • Alex S • Mark K • Ashley D • Tenille D Check-­‐In Table Attendant: • Kenneth G • Kathleen H • Chris G Parking Supervisors: • Eric B • Garrett W • Andrews S • Aaron S 12 | P a g e Information/Donation Table: • Meika A • Mark K • Jaylin M Volunteer Food Table Supervisors: • Tiarci C Game Supervisors: • Vince M • Caitlin D Referees: • Trevor D • Nick P Game Scorekeepers: • Adam C • Sam B Bracket Updaters: • Alex S • Annie C Teardown Team: • Everyone Tournament Floaters: • Colin O • Jazmine K 13 | P a g e Event Location Finding a location for the mud volleyball tournament was not an easy feat, even with Dr. Lewis having multiple contacts in the parks and recreation departments in and around Kalamazoo. The key factor was that no one wanted any area of their park torn up to be used as mud volleyball courts. After submitting a request to Kalamazoo County Parks and Recreation, Kalamazoo County Expo Center and Fairgrounds offered, for a fee, their south horse arena for the event. This area is typically used for horse shows at the fairgrounds, which was perfect for the tournament because both events required the dirt be overturned to make mud. The site was further chosen because of its extensive open field area that allowed for other event components. The area was large enough to hold four courts in the mudded area, although only two courts were needed to successfully run the tournament. The site also provided sufficient space for parking for all anticipated participants, spectators, and volunteers. The open field allowed for various stations to be set up for team check-­‐in, a volunteer area, bracket and scoring area, and room for any food vendors that partook in the event. The Expo Center provided the equipment necessary to overturn the court area ground to make mud, as they had recently purchased the equipment for the horse shows. Without any additional cost, the fairground’s crew agreed to use their equipment to help overturn the dirt before the tournament so it was easier for volunteers to make the mud the day before the event. An additional reason that the fairground site was chosen was the fact that water access was provided. Access to water was important for making the mud for the volleyball courts during set-­‐up of tournament. Water was also needed for the day of the event to allow tournament participants to clean-­‐
up after diving in the mud during games. Water access ended up being over 400 yards away in the nearby campground area, but with multiple hoses it was reached. 14 | P a g e Operations Event Preparations The first step with any event is picking a date. College students at Western Michigan University generally attend all football tailgates; with this in mind, it was necessary to select a weekend without a home football game to obtain more participants. The school year was another important factor because the beginning of the school year tends to be when students have the most money, which was important because the event required a registration fee. The weather was an even bigger factor, especially living in Michigan. It was critical to try to keep the event on a semi-­‐warm day where people would not mind playing in the mud or water from the clean-­‐off shower. With these ideas in mind, September 26th was selected as the optimal day for the event. Once the usage of the Kalamazoo County Expo Center and Fairgrounds was secured, the issue of liability insurance came to the table, as the space could not be used if there was no insurance with the fairgrounds named as additionally insured up to $1 million. After speaking with the legal department, Western Michigan University declined use of their insurance, so a new plan was needed. Morgan’s father had used his personal umbrella insurance in the past for events he had put on and offered it for the mud volleyball tournament. Emergency assistance also needed to be arranged in case a participant or volunteer was injured. This proved a bit easier as the emergency assistance company worked easily with just the notification of the event and assurance that someone would be on call to respond to the tournament if the need arose. Many items that needed to be acquired in preparation for the event, such as port-­‐a-­‐johns, volleyball nets and posts, scorecards, and volleyballs all needed to be rented. Port-­‐a-­‐johns were available through the Kalamazoo County Expo Center and Fairgrounds, and after shopping around a bit, their price turned out to be the cheapest. About $200 cheaper than the same company had quoted directly. Scorecards and volleyballs proved to be a bit more of a challenge, as WMU was not willing to donate old volleyballs. Morgan’s High School, Northview, volunteered their volleyballs and scorecards as long as they were returned. The true test came when searching for volleyball nets and posts. There was not a rental company that could be found that rented volleyball nets and therefore caused a serious issue. Inquiry was made to USA Michigan Volleyball-­‐American Athlete, an organization that focuses on helping volleyball players enhance their skills and run volleyball tournaments, to see if they would be willing to sell or donate their old equipment. With no luck, Autumn’s father agreed to assemble the posts and obtain nets from one of his friends who owned sand volleyball courts. In order to set up the nets, the 12-­‐foot posts were cemented into 5 gallon buckets and dug into the ground. The nets were then hung between the posts. While there were 15 | P a g e enough posts and nets to make four courts, only two were set up on the day before the event. In the court area, ropes were used as out of bound lines to make the 60ftx30ft courts. Inside the boundary lines, the courts were flooded with water, and shovels and feet were used to mix the dirt and water together to make sticky mud for the tournament. By shoveling dirt into lower lying areas and making berms to hold some of the water into the courts, the ground was made into a mud pit for the games. Besides the volleyball courts, the event area also featured parking, a clean-­‐up station, water station for participants to get drinks between games, an awards and bracket tent, areas for teams to relax with tables and chairs, a volunteer area and a food truck (for site map see Appendix J). Parking for the event was set up along the gravel road in 18-­‐foot lengths for car parking spots and 24-­‐feet of space between parking lines, with metal stakes and rope used to designate appropriate parking areas. There was also parking signs set up from the corner of Business 94 and Lake St to the actual event area guiding participants and volunteers into the event. Another event area was the clean-­‐up station where a shower was created for teams to rinse off after games. The shower was made with a garden hose sprayer and an extra volleyball post. Food Truck Requirements Getting food to the event for the participants proved harder than originally thought. Businesses around Kalamazoo were not willing to donate enough food to feed all of the expected participants. The next thought was food trucks, but in order to get food trucks to an event there must be a promise of a good deal of potential customers. Food trucks are also booked well in advance, which posed another problem as the search for food trucks began with only two weeks until the event. Luckily Bomba’s responded to the request and came to the event. Food trucks have an upside to them; they do not require access to water. However, there was a need of electricity. This posed a problem, as the closest electrical hookup was over 300 yards away and through a wire fence. With multiple extension cords, it was possible to reach the electrical hookup and the food truck ended up selling out of food before the end of the event. 16 | P a g e Volunteer Operations The volunteer tent was set-­‐up to hold free food for the volunteers. On the morning of the event, bagels were donated at cost by Big Apple Bagel, for the volunteers to eat during set up. They were also given $5.00 coupons (that were donated) to use at the food truck to have lunch if working the afternoon shift. The volunteer tent also provided an area for volunteers to claim their event themed t-­‐shirts that they were to wear to make them easy to spot in the crowd in case an event attendee needed help. Team Registration Participants were responsible for forming their own teams, with one team member (the captain) registering online at wmumudvolleyball.weebly.com/registration (Appendix U). From there the team captain received an email explaining event details and how payment would be accepted (Appendix S). Each team paid a $50 team registration fee to participate in the tournament. This money, totaling $350.00, was then donated to The Water Project at the conclusion of the event. Payment was taken through a PayPal account set up in the name of the WMU Mud Volleyball Tournament, and was directly linked to the event bank account. This allowed for a clear picture of whether teams had paid on event day, with an electronic system as backup proof. A second email was also sent out before the event reminding participants of key rules, the time of the event, and parking directions to the event site (Appendix J for map). Event Day On the day of the event, participants gathered at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center and Fairgrounds at 9am for registration and signing of liability forms (Appendix T). Teams were asked to check-­‐in at the front table and have all team members sign a liability form, permitting team members to receive blue wristbands for admission to the courts. A captains meeting followed at 9:30am where rules and regulations were reviewed (Appendix U). At 10am, the teams began to play pool play to earn their rankings for bracket play. After two games of three sets, total points were taken into account and teams were ranked based on these standings. The bracket tournament then began. Each team played against the corresponding ranked team and slowly moved through the bracket. The playing sequence only differed when the last four teams remained, after the teams played each other to determine who would participate in the final round, the two losing teams played one set to 21 in order to determine third place. Prizes were then awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams, prize descriptions can be seen in the donations section of this report. These teams were also presented with medals for their hard work, donated by one of the event sponsors. The event day also featured an area by the prize table where donations were collected for The Water Project. There was also a slip of paper that attendees and spectators could take detailing information about The Water Project and its current projects. 17 | P a g e 18 | P a g e Financial Data Budget The original budget for the mud volleyball tournament estimated costs amounting to more than $7,000. However, with the many donations received the financials needed for the tournament came to a little over $3,000. Exact numbers can be seen in Appendix F. Sponsors The journey to find sponsors for the mud volleyball tournament was a long process. During the spring of 2015, meetings were arranged with the Haworth College of Business Career Center and the Alumni Development Office in order to gain information on how to solicit sponsors. One piece of advice was to obtain a letter from the Lee Honors College to give to businesses in order to provide evidence that the mud volleyball tournament was an honors thesis (Appendix V). Sponsorships were obtained in the form of monetary and item donations. Item donations that corresponded to prizes can be seen below. Dykema Excavators, Inc., Wells Fargo Advisors, and Second Presbyterian Church Mission Committee of Saginaw, Michigan made monetary donations. It was discovered that many companies would not provide monetary donations because the tournament did not have 501-­‐C3 status, although The Water Project did. The majority of funding came through a GoFundMe page set up for the event (Appendix W), www.gofundme.com/wmumudvolleyball. This page allowed monetary contributions to be solicited from personal relationships Morgan and Autumn had. A total of $1,685 was raised through GoFundMe and additional donations were received as personal checks. The tournament was also announced in the Second Presbyterian Church bulletin and provided the opportunity to receive additional funding through their congregation. Combined, personal donations on GoFundMe and personal checks were the major source of funding for the mud volleyball tournament. 19 | P a g e Prize Donations Prizes for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams were donated by the Kalamazoo Community and were collected by Dr. Lewis’s HPHE 3710 class. A list of prizes is as follows: First Place: • 2 $10 Buffalo Wild Wings Gift Cards • 2 Student Guest Passes for the WMU Student Recreation Center • $5 Wings Etc. Grill and Pub Certificates • 2 Free Entrees at Qdoba • 2 Free Burger King Whopper Certificates • 16oz Starbucks Coffee Bag • 14 $10 off Jaspare’s Pizza Certificates • $25 Roadhouse Gift Certificate • $10 Sophia’s Gift Certificate • $25 Carabbas Gift Card • 1 WMU White Volleyball Polo • Root Booster Hair Product • Styling Gel • Black WMU T-­‐shirt • 3 Supercuts Coupons Second Place: • 2 Free Entrees at Qdoba • 2 Free Burger Kind Whopper Certificates • 2 $10 Buffalo Wild Wings Gift Cards • 16oz Starbucks Coffee Bag • 12 $10 off Jaspare’s Pizza Certificates • $10 Sophia’s Gift Certificate • Rose’s Certificate for 1 dozen free roses • 1 WMU Gold Athletic Polo • Root Booster Hair Product • Styling Gel • 2 Student Guest Passes for the WMU Student Recreation Center • $15 Olde Peninsula Gift Certificate • 1 Black WMU T-­‐shirt • 2 Supercuts Coupons • $10 Jimmy Johns Gift Card Third Place: • 1 Free Entrée at Qdoba • 1 Free Burger King Whopper Certificate • 1 $10 Buffalo Wild Wings Gift Card • 10 $10 off Jaspare’s Pizza Certificates • $10 Sophia’s Gift Certificate • Water Bottle from the WMU Student Recreation Center 20 | P a g e •
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Finishing Mist Hair Product Conditioner 1 Student Guest Passes for the WMU Student Recreation Center 1 White WMU T-­‐shirt 1 Supercuts Coupon 21 | P a g e Closing Reflections The WMU Mud Volleyball Tournament was a success, and valuable knowledge was gained on how to construct an event from beginning to end. Although there were two co-­‐event coordinators, Autumn and Morgan, it was very difficult to put an event together of this size with just two people. An event the size of the tournament would normally have a team of people to execute it. Parents contributed with support to balance the workload from the tournament. The help received from parents was much appreciated, especially during the summer months when both Morgan and Autumn were located outside of Kalamazoo for internships. Distance provided an increased amount of stress as the school year drew closer because most important aspects of the event could only be accomplished in Kalamazoo. With a total of 7 teams participating in the event, the number of teams estimated for the event at 40 was a big overestimation. Teams were made of friends, athletic club teams, fraternities, and sororities from Western Michigan University, and families from the area. However, with fewer teams there was more of an opportunity for participants to get their money’s worth out of the event, as games were played in three sets and two beginning games were used to rank teams before bracket play started instead of just one. September 26th ended up being a gorgeous day and well suited for the event. However, because there was no football game and it was the first free weekend of the semester, many students went home limiting the number of participants in the tournament. Overall the tournament was a success, with a variety of people asking if it would be an annual tournament, and raised a total of $350 to be donated to The Water Project. 22 | P a g e Appendix The appendix is a collection of forms used to encompass all aspects of the mud volleyball tournament. These forms were collected from course time spent in the Western Michigan University Event Management Minor. Other appendices include letters, and forms filled out for tournament success. Appendix A Event Idea Planning Form Event Name: Mud Volleyball Tournament Event Purpose: The Mud Volleyball Tournament is a fun way to get Western Michigan students involved in a cause that is bigger than them. The tournament’s purpose will be raising money to go towards the Water Project. The Water Project is dedicated to bringing water to communities around the world who lack clean water and proper sanitation. Our goal for this tournament is to “get dirty to get clean.” Audience Profile: (General) Ethnicity: Mixed Locality/Region: Kalamazoo, MI Income status: Minimal Education Level: College Students Age Range: 18-­‐25 Life Style Statement (what is important to them, what do they value?) People of this age group value time spent with friends while experiencing new environments with cheap entertainment. What else do they do? College students also enjoy alcoholic beverages in friendly environments while watching TV. Stakeholders: Identify key partners for this event 1. The Water Project 2. Western Michigan University 3. Attendees/ Participants 4. Volunteers Fees: Entry Fees -­‐ Free or Cost: $50 per team registration fee Other Fees-­‐ List: n/a Merchandising: n/a Concessions Planning: Food: Subs and Chips Beverage: Bottled Water w/ Logo Retail: n/a Other: n/a Event Required Rentals: 23 | P a g e Tent Rental – For Vendor Area (possibly) Stage Rental: n/a Decorations: n/a Tables, chairs, other: From Fairgrounds Sound Reinforcement: n/a Video/Social Media Tech: n/a Lighting: Daytime event Other: Volleyball Nets, and Volleyballs Event Elements-­‐ include basic short descriptors Program One: Volleyball Games: Teams will play games for ranking then proceed to bracket style tournament. Program Two: Water Project information table: Area to learn about The Water Project and give donations. Program Three: Check-­‐in: Teams must sign waivers and get wristbands in order to be eligible to play on the courts. Program Four: Prizes/Awards: Announcement of top three teams, with awarding of prizes and medals. Site Considerations Event Location: _Kalamazoo County Expo Center and Fairgrounds_______________________________ Public Facility or Private Facility Location Benefits: _Ground already worked up, lots of space___________________________________ Site Challenges: __Water is over 500yrds away, location for event is in back of fairgrounds(hard to find)_ Site Amenities: _Water, and electric________________________________________________________ Parking: _On grass next to event area: will require set up of parking grid__________________________ Accommodations: __Providing tables and chairs at a fee, provided rakes__________________________ 24 | P a g e Appendix B Organizational Paper Organization Description/Purpose/Cause: We (Autumn and Morgan) are putting on the Mud Volleyball Tournament as our Honors Thesis project and Event Practicum. We will be partnering with the Clean Water RSO on campus in order to raise money for The Water Project. The Water Project, Inc. is a non-­‐profit organization with the mission of unlocking human potential by providing sustainable water projects to communities in sub-­‐Saharan Africa who suffer needlessly from a lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation. By partnering with the Clean Water RSO, all money that is raised through the tournament will be donated directly to The Water Project. Event Purpose: The Mud Volleyball Tournament is a fun way to get Western Michigan students involved in a cause in a cause that is bigger than themselves. The tournament will be raising money to go towards the Water Project. The Water Project is dedicated to bringing water to communities around the world who lack clean water and proper sanitation. Our goal for this tournament is to “get dirty to get clean.” Event Stakeholders: 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
The Water Project Non-­‐profit Organization (external): All donations will be given to The Water Project. Western Michigan University (internal): As students from Western Michigan University putting on the event, it becomes a WMU event. Attendees/ Participants (internal): They are the reason the event can take place; the event is for them. Sponsors (internal): Receive positive exposure from event attendees, which will help increase revenues. Volunteers (internal): Participate in helping the event run smoothly. Park Association (external): Providing the location for the event, receiving increased activity and draw to their parks. Local City Officials (external): Provide approval for the event. Community (external): Provides a safe area for the event to take place. 25 | P a g e Appendix C SWOT Analysis Event Purpose: The Mud Volleyball Tournament is a fun way to get Western Michigan students involved in a cause in a cause that is bigger than themselves. The tournament will be raising money to go towards the Water Project. The Water Project is dedicated to bringing water to African communities who lack clean water and proper sanitation. Our goal for this tournament is to “get dirty to get clean.” Strengths •
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•
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Weaknesses Both Event Management minors Business backgrounds Dr. Lewis (supervisor) park connections Sports Management students required as volunteers Dr. Lewis has previous experience in planning recreational activities Reasonable ticket prices Great support network Opportunities •
Lots of students with possible pre-­‐made teams through RSOs on campus Location close to campus Money is being raised for The Water Project Popular at other schools in the area There aren’t any other mud volleyball tournaments available to students •
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There is no previous market towards it with it being the first time the event has happened No previous sponsors in place No previous experience in planning a sporting fundraiser Not going to be held on campus Transportation will not be provided Threats •
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Possible poor weather conditions (outdoor event) Possible lack of interest in event Parks might not want to host event due to destroying the grass No one wants to take liability for event Other activities could be going on at the time of the event 26 | P a g e Appendix D Event Components and Goals Brief Description of Event: This mud volleyball tournament is a first of its kind for students at Western Michigan University. Teams of WMU students and WMU RSO’s will come together to play in a fun volleyball tournament in order to raise money for The Water Project, a non-­‐profit organization that is dedicated to bringing clean water to African communities. Event Niche: Mud volleyball is growing in popularity, but there is nothing like it at WMU so we hope to establish this tournament here so others can enjoy the game as well. Event Component Check-­‐In Volunteers Information Table (Donations) Food Area Volleyball Courts Event Goals/ Why? Objectives (SMART) Tactics/ Creating customer experience -­‐Select volunteers who understand the process and help check-­‐ins run smoothly. -­‐Identify strategies to decorate station to attract all teams. Success Metric/ ROI -­‐All teams are successfully checked in by 9:30am. -­‐Have necessary number of volunteers for each shift by September th
10 . -­‐Collected at least $100 dollars in donations. -­‐To establish an orderly and efficient check-­‐in process to move teams through swiftly. -­‐To create a way to make sure all teams are checked-­‐in and have signed liability agreements. -­‐To create volunteer check-­‐in -­‐To create a set list of rules refs will be following for games. -­‐To design shirts for all volunteers to wear. -­‐To establish volunteer needs. -­‐Design a check-­‐in sheet that will be clear for volunteers to understand by Sep. 19 -­‐Purchase wristbands to indicate team check-­‐in and signed liability requirements. (350 wristbands) -­‐Have a list of rules printed off to hand out at check-­‐in. -­‐Write rules by Mar. 1 -­‐Train refs on rules by Sep. 19 -­‐Have design for shirts ready by Sep. 1 -­‐Order shirts by Sep. 10 -­‐Have at least 16 volunteers per shift (5 shifts) -­‐Make sure all volunteers have a shirt so they are easily identifiable to all players. -­‐To create a display for the Water Project. -­‐To develop a system for collecting donations. -­‐To develop a table set up that allows for easy access to food. -­‐To find companies to donate food or sponsors for food. -­‐Print out Water Project pamphlets (50) -­‐Create a trifold display with clean and dirty water bottles to display. -­‐Cash box for donations – cash donations only -­‐Have at least 2 tables to spread food and drinks out. -­‐Donations of subs, chips, and water – enough to feed 450 -­‐Identify strategies to decorate table to attract donators. -­‐Use Water Project papers to create an understanding of project. -­‐To find rental companies to donate -­‐Have rental company set in st
place by: May 1 . -­‐Select volunteers to ref each court for all games, who -­‐Have volunteers (2) present at all times to help food station run smoothly and keep area organized and clean. -­‐All food is there and ready by noon. -­‐Food area is cleaned up before tournament is completed. -­‐Nets stay in place all day. 27 | P a g e Clean-­‐Up Station Awards/ Prizes volleyball equipment. -­‐To create a team to mix mud. -­‐To set up layout of courts – create courts. -­‐To find location in park where water hookup is possible. -­‐Find a team of at least 5 people. -­‐Have court layouts in place by: May 1st -­‐To determine what awards will be. -­‐To set up an award time. -­‐To create a bracket display. -­‐Find sponsor for medals for top 3 teams. -­‐Present awards within 20 minutes of final game. -­‐Purchase poster board and draw on brackets by Aug. th
30 . -­‐Hookup for at least 2 hoses. understand the rules and game. -­‐Select volunteers to walk around courts during games to make sure everything is running smoothly. -­‐Have a volunteer check on area occasionally to make sure everything is working. -­‐Present awards in an exciting way. -­‐Keep brackets up to date so teams can easily see when they will be playing next. -­‐Rental Company has agreed by st
Aug. 1 . -­‐Less than 10% of tournament players go home covered in mud. -­‐Bracket is up to date within 5 minutes of every game ending. -­‐Award Ceremony is completed within 30 minutes of tournament completion. 28 | P a g e Appendix E Sponsorship Revenue Worksheet Executive Summary: The main purpose of the event is to bring Western Michigan Students and community members together to raise awareness and money for The Water Project, a non-­‐profit organization. Aiming to make the day a memorable experience for not only the teams who are participating but also the sponsors, volunteers, and guests who come to help and watch. All while helping to raise money for The Water Project, in order to provide sustainable water projects to communities in sub-­‐Saharan Africa who suffer from a lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation. Event Value Proposition Statement: Participation in WMU’s first Mud Volleyball Tournament provides the opportunity to showcase your company to both students and members of the surrounding community. The sponsorship process will demonstrate your organization’s commitment to the sustainability and efforts of bringing clean water projects to deserving African communities. Furthermore, the visibility achieved as a tournament sponsor will serve to boost your corporate image and brand recognition throughout the Kalamazoo and greater West Michigan area. Sponsors will enjoy a range of benefits for their investment in the WMU Mud Volleyball Tournament. Five Top Summary Reasons Why They Should Be A Sponsor: 1. Get your company name in front of local students and community members. 2. Contribute to sustainability. 3. Get event day advertisement. 4. Connect company employees to networking possibilities. 5. Get company involved in social responsibility by contributing money and time to The Water Project. Sponsorship Category Name of Category Cost Prospective Sponsor Top Level Sponsorship Court Sponsors $500 Stadium Car Dealerships Printed Benefits (Listing or use of logo/company in printed materials) Social Media Exposure Opportunities – outline how they will be promoted -­‐Logo on volunteer shirts -­‐ Logo on event website with connecting link -­‐Logo on posters -­‐Company mention on Facebook and Twitter weekly On-­‐Site Advertising Opportunities Hospitality Opportunities exclusive to sponsors ROI Success metrics -­‐Company logo on main event banner -­‐Corporate team payment included -­‐Increased company awareness and increased sales Mid-­‐Level Sponsorship Net Sponsors $250 Local Kalamazoo Businesses -­‐Logo on volunteer shirts Logo on event website -­‐Logo on posters Entry-­‐Level Sponsorship Ball Sponsors $100 Local Business & Family/Friend Donations -­‐Logo on event website -­‐Logo on posters -­‐Company mention on Facebook and Twitter bi-­‐
weekly -­‐Company mention on Facebook week of event -­‐Tagged Tweet week of event -­‐Company logo on main event banner -­‐Corporate team payment included -­‐Increased company awareness and increased sales -­‐Increased company awareness and increased sales 29 | P a g e Appendix F Event Budget 30 | P a g e 31 | P a g e Appendix G Sponsorship Brochure 32 | P a g e Appendix H Organizational Chart 33 | P a g e Appendix I Volunteer Job Descriptions Friday Volunteers (5 for 11am to ?): Volunteers will be responsible for setting up nets, working up volleyball courts, and setting up parking area. Other jobs may include movement of tables and trashcan and any other additional set-­‐up that may be completed early. Check-­‐In Table Attendant (4 for morning shift): Volunteers will be responsible for checking teams in, providing event-­‐day information to teams and attendees, hand out wristbands, as well as deal with any additional check-­‐in requirements. Any additional information will be given to volunteers before the event. Information Table Attendant (2 per shift): We will need two volunteers per shift to supervise the information table. Volunteers will need to be able to provide event participants and attendees with additional information regarding The Water Project organization as well as any necessary sponsorship information. No extra knowledge on various organizations is required, all information will be provided day of. Donations Table Attendant (2 per shift): We will need two volunteers per shift to supervise the donations table. Volunteers will be responsible for collecting any donations that are made the day of the event. Must collect and keep money and check donations organized. Parking Supervisors (6 for morning shift): We will need six volunteers to help direct players and spectators to designated parking areas. After the majority of parking is filled, parking supervisors will finish shift, helping as a tournament floater. Volunteer Food Table Supervisor (2 per shift): We will need three volunteers per shift to supervise the food tables. Volunteers will be responsible for setting up food tables, helping players get their meals, and keeping the food area clean. Game Supervisors (2 per shift): We will need two volunteers per shift to supervise the games. Volunteers will be responsible for helping teams with any needs during the games as well as reporting final game scores to the bracket updaters. Referees (4 per shift): We will need four volunteers per shift to work as referees, one for each court. Volunteers will be responsible for making all final calls on their court. Knowledge of basic volleyball rules is required. Game Scorekeepers (4 per shift): We will need four volunteers per shift to keep score of each court. We will need one volunteer per court, who will keep scores for each game and to inform the bracket updaters of final scores at the end of each game. 34 | P a g e Bracket Updaters (2 per shift): We will need two volunteers per shift to update event brackets. Game supervisors will update bracket updaters on game outcomes, bracket updaters will then be responsible for recording those scores and updating the overall event bracket in a timely manner. Tear Down Team (5): This will be a shorter shift that will take place after the event is complete. Volunteers will help event staff take down courts, tear down various stations, and help clear out the fairground site. Tournament Floaters (3 per shift): We will need three volunteers per shift to work as floaters. Volunteers will fill-­‐in wherever extra volunteers are needed throughout their designated shift. 35 | P a g e Appendix J Site Check List and Site Map WMU Mud Volleyball Event Component Areas Entrance Gates Parking Area Concession Area Restroom Area Team Area Recycling/Garbage Areas Volleyball Area General Pedestrian Flow Viewing Area Eating and Water Areas Volunteer Area Bracket and Awards Area Site Maintenance & Adherence Maintenance/Cleaning Crews Amenities – a short description of what Challenges – this includes what you will is currently available need to rent/bring/purchase/leverage in order to host Gravel road leading to parking and Bring in 10x10 tent and 2 tables with entrance gates. appropriate chairs (4) for volunteers. Securing wristbands for players and signing of liability waivers (needs of pens, waivers, and wristbands. All participant money collected beforehand. Grass area off gravel road. Directional signs needed to be placed to parking area from entrance of fairgrounds. Rope off parking area with lanes to prevent accidents. Space on gravel road for food truck Placement of picnic tables around food with access to electricity about 300 truck for eating area. Back-­‐up electrical yards away through a fence. cords are required due to the location of utilities. No restrooms on site. 3 porta-­‐johns are required, including one handicap accessible one. No shade located in park. Will need to 7 8ft tables and chairs for teams to set bring in area components. personal belongings as well as relax in-­‐
between matches. Fairgrounds responsible for all trash disposals. Providing trash containers. Ground previously dug up and ready Nets and posts are to be brought in and set for instillation of nets. up. Tables will need to be moved close for scorekeepers. The site has great pedestrian flow with To support pedestrian flow, it is important wide-­‐open space. There will be no cluster tables for eating area and team roping off event area, optimal for any area, while keeping distance from volleyball exits needed. area to help with movement. Grass areas on sides of volleyball nets Fencing is needed to keep the viewer’s off for onlookers. courts. Eating areas are available, but nothing Tables, and chairs, are required for all is on site to support it. eating and water areas. Water area will also include cups and jugs of water for players and volunteers to enjoy. Area is located off to the side of the The volunteer areas designed through park. tents, tables, chairs, and signage. Also includes private food. Area will be set up in front of volleyball Tent will be needed with optimal tables and courts. chairs to display prizes as well as bracket and team standings. The site is prepared by fairgrounds staff with clean up responsibility A large crew is needed for an hour period trash receptacles to clean up all debris left 36 | P a g e dictated to event group. Emergency Services (access & availability) Risk Management Access to Utilities Site Destination & Accessibility Access to major highways/intersections Distances to hotels When the site is operational, EMS will be notified of event and on call in case of emergency. No fences in place for easy emergency evacuation. Parking is an issue for handicapped vehicles There is potable water, electrical on site. Water is over 200 yards away and will require multiple hoses to reach. There is a prescribed area where restrooms need to go, and the number of toilets depends on attendance projections. Location of restrooms is next to road and easily accessed for placement and dumping. by attendees. The garbage will be taken care of by fairgrounds staff. Toilets picked up and cleaned by port-­‐a-­‐john company. The insurance requires notification of emergency personal of event. Handicap parking must be arranged and signage is needed at the entrances and on the barricades. All cords must be covered or a cord-­‐keeper traffic system must be used. Next I94, accessed at exit 81 and down Business 94 to Lake St. No hotels in area close, but campground is in fairgrounds. Parking located on site, with directed traffic. Directional signage is possible on Business 94. Camping NOT part of event. On Site Utilities No internet or any other than basic utility on site. Volunteers Volunteers play a critical role in the execution of the event and since there is a lot of space and all areas are programmed, the number of volunteers is about 40. Any credit card or processing system must be tied to a wireless phone to work. There is no internet access. Parking Amenities Support for Administrative Needs Access to administrative support Volunteer functions/support Money procedures/process Staff support Directional attendees needed for attendees to park on grass area. There are no offices on site. Tent area will be used. Volunteer tent located off to the side of the park. Parking located in same area as attendee parking. There is no office on site to support these functions and actually credit card processing/ATM/Cash security is not available on site Administrative support, back stage support, and supervisory staffing is required to run this event. An These areas for volunteer support are necessary to provide a good experience and “fellowship” for the volunteers Providing the support networks for financial management and service is something that needs to be addressed and supported. Administrative support will have possible areas of gathering in tent area. 37 | P a g e administrative area for gathering, crisis management, and planning is needed and really required. Event Area Check in
38 | P a g e Appendix K Event Timeline Timeline January -­‐ February Timeline March -­‐ April Timeline May -­‐ July Timeline August Tournament Vendors Set-­‐Up • Start looking • Consider if for a location food trucks to host the would be a event good addition to • Select a date the event to hold the tournament Logistics Tournament Vendors Set-­‐Up • Secure the • Research event possible location and vendors in pay deposit the Kalamazoo • Meet with area event site to determine what is/is not provided through the site Logistics Tournament Vendors Logistics Set-­‐Up • Keep in • Contact • Look into regular vendors to liability contact with see who’s insurance fairgrounds available and waivers to ensure all on the event details event date are taken care of Tournament Vendors Logistics Set-­‐Up • Pay • Finalize • Determine remaining vendor what security event site choices measures will payment be necessary for event day • Ensure all court and • Create a site Marketing Sponsors Other • Develop a marketing plan to promote the tournament • Create event website and social media accounts Marketing • Develop • Develop a the target sponsorshi
audience p plan and proposal • Create a list of possible sponsors to contact Sponsors Other • Determine what print marketing materials will be needed • Create a timeline for when marketing materials need to be created and distributed • Create • Determine sponsorship amount of brochure to volunteers distribute needed to possible sponsors • Meet with WMU faculty and staff members to ask about who to reach out to for sponsorship
s Sponsors Other Marketing • Create • Meet with flyer/poster major companies • Create event in the brochure Kalamazoo • Start posting to promote on social event and media ask about accounts sponsorship Marketing Sponsors • Print and distribute flyer/poster • Post on FB and Twitter at least Other • Meet with • Keep local working with Kalamazoo volunteers companies to sign up for to promote slots, event and sending 39 | P a g e tournament materials are available • Determine what directional signage will be needed for event day Timeline Tournament Set-­‐Up September • Set-­‐up volleyball courts and various event stations • Set-­‐up parking • Put up all directional and parking signage for event Vendors • Assign locations at event • Ensure all vendor payments are accounted for map weekly with content • Work with directed fairgrounds to posts get port-­‐a-­‐
jons for event • Look into Bronco Bash booth and giveaway materials Logistics Marketing find confirmation
sponsors s upon receipt • Develop additional • Find sponsorship businesses recognition to donate materials food for volunteers • Notify teams and volunteers of driving and parking directions – give out information for contact • Finalize liability insurance – payment • Finalize all • Ensure we payment have enough receipts volunteers from and jobs sponsors assigned • Finalize • Ensure all sponsorship teams and banner volunteers have all necessary information • Host promotional booth at Bronco Bash • Continue with regular social media posts • Finalize the volunteer t-­‐
shirt • Finalize event day parking and directional posters • Ensure all marketing materials have been paid in full • Send press release out to major news stations in the Kalamazoo area • Print The Water Project promotional materials Sponsors Other 40 | P a g e Appendix L Target Audience Development Characteristics Name of the Audience General description of audience (2 sentences). Demographics General Age General Educational Level General Income level General Geographical Area General Family Status Psychographics/Customer Profile How do they interact with the organization/event? How often do they interact with your organization/event – what percentage of the client/customer base are they? What other types of programs/events do they interact/attend? What do they want from your organization/event? (Services, ROI, entertainment, networking, memories?) What are the basic needs that they expect at your program/event? What type of information or education do they want from your event? Explain if they want it on site or before/after event. What value is created for your audience because of your program/event product/service? Audience One: WMU Students This group is made up of individuals who like to keep active and be with friends. They have likely been playing volleyball or other sports for years. Audience Two Surrounding Community Members This group is made up of individuals who like to be active in their community and keep physically active. They want to participate in events that bring people together and help good causes. 18-­‐24 year olds Parents: 30-­‐50, Kids: 15-­‐18 College Students College Degrees Less than $10,000 $40,000-­‐$80,000 Southwest Michigan Southwest Michigan Single Married This group connects with the Community members/ families volleyball aspect of the event, connect with the fundraising side staying active and wanting to have of the event, wanting to get a fun time with friends. involved and help a bigger cause. They will only interact with the They will only be interacting with event one time but are likely the event one time but might regularly active in other sport donate with The Water Project related events. They could be non-­‐profit again. They would be considered as 75% of the customer about 25% of the customer base. base. They most often attend other They would most often go to other events in the area with their programs that are targeted friends. They would attend towards families and community sporting events, and other music members, such as races. festivals. They want a fun day with their They want to be involved in the friends, staying active and creating community and community memories. members, and see the community grow and offer different events. They expect to be able to play The basic needs they expect from numerous games for it to be worth the event is a fun day with friends the team registration costs. and family. They want to learn of other similar They would like to learn more events that will be available to about the cause that it is helping them in the near future. as well as future events that will be available in the community. There is the value of being The value of quality family time physically active and a day off and time with friends is created in from school to have fun with a way that children want to spend friends. time with their parents and it is fun and entertaining for everyone. 41 | P a g e What are the biggest challenges in making sure that the audience’s basic needs are met? What are the significant social/political/environmental issues challenging them? How will you know when your event has created a great experience/memory for them? What other types of leisure activities do they enjoy? How do they get their information? The biggest challenges in meeting their needs is insuring that they get quality playing time so they get their money’s worth. This audience is often concerned most with their social life of friend as well as financial issues that come with being on their own at school. There will be photos on their social media accounts as well as talk on campus. Providing a fun event that reaches multiple age groups and keeping everyone busy and engaged. Community members are concerned with the area they are living in and possibly raising families. There will be talk about it to their friends. The community members will ask if the event will be happening again in future years. Going to the beach, drinking, video Spending time outside, reading to games, sports, television, listening children, television, attending to music. other community events. Social Media and Flyers Flyers and Printed Ads 42 | P a g e Appendix M 5 W's Who -­‐ Two WMU business and event management students putting on a mud volleyball tournament for other WMU students are surrounding community members, in order to bring awareness to The Water Project non-­‐profit organization. What -­‐ A one-­‐day mud volleyball tournament, bringing together WMU students and community members to raise money and awareness of The Water Project, a non-­‐profit organization dedicated to bringing clean water systems to African communities. When -­‐ An all day event on Saturday, September 26, 2015 starting at 9am Where -­‐ Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds Why -­‐ A way to bring Western students and community members together for a fun day, and help bring awareness to a deserving cause, The Water Project. 43 | P a g e Appendix N News Release WMU Mud Volleyball Tournament
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 16, 2015
Western Michigan University’s First Ever Mud Volleyball
Tournament
Description: Be a part of Western Michigan University's first ever Mud Volleyball Tournament! Bring
your friends for a chance to play in the mud and raise money for The Water Project, Inc. to join in the
fight for clean water. The event will be held on Saturday September 26, 2015 at Kalamazoo County Expo
Center and Fairgrounds with team check-in beginning at 9am.
Kalamazoo, Michigan, September 16, 2015– The WMU Mud Volleyball Tournament, at the Kalamazoo
County Expo Center and Fairgrounds, will play host to a double elimination bracket style tournament.
The tournament will be an all-day event with check-in for teams beginning at 9am and the first games
beginning at 10am. Spectator admission to the tournament is free of charge with an optional donation to
The Water Project, Inc., the sole beneficiary of the tournament.
The Water Project, Inc. is a non-profit organization that continually works toward providing sustainable
water projects to communities in sub-Saharan Africa who suffer from a lack of access to clean water and
proper sanitation. The Water Project's staff and partners work together to provide training, as well as
expertise and financial support for various project construction. In order to help these sub-Saharan
African communities to develop and grow, The Water Project, Inc. helps communities dig wells,
construct small dams, catch rainwater, protect fresh-water springs, filter surface water, and maintain
proper sanitation and hygiene practices.
Registration for participation in the event is currently open on the event website,
www.wmumudvolleyball.weebly.com. Teams are encouraged to register early as there is a limit of 40
teams for the tournament. Teams are limited to 6 to 8 players and will pay a single team registration cost
of $50. This registration cost will go in its entity to The Water Project, Inc. Please join us on September
26, 2015 for your chance to “get dirty, to get clean!”
Contact Information:
Morgan DeBoer
(616) 295-3911
Autumn Gammon
(989) 928-8821
wmumudvolleyball@gmail.com
www.wmumudvolleyball.weebly.com
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44 | P a g e Appendix O Positioning Statement Event Niche: The WMU Mud Volleyball Tournament brings together the Kalamazoo community and Western Michigan University students in a mud volleyball tournament in a Kalamazoo Country Park and donates all profits made from registration fees to The Water Project. Mud volleyball in growing in popularity, but Western does not currently have an opportunity for students to partake in the sport. Positioning Statement: Western Michigan University is Kalamazoo’s largest college and is the draw for a majority of the Kalamazoo community. Western Michigan University contributes to most of the population in Kalamazoo and with it a good deal of the revenue for business. With this relationship, businesses often contribute to events at the college. As an event associated with Western Michigan University, the Mud Volleyball Tournament will bring contact between students and the community in the form of prizes for the tournament, which focuses on generating a donation for The Water Project. Target Audience Benefits Competitors General Demographics: • Males and Females • 18-­‐24 year olds primarily • Families secondary • Low income • College Students • Western Michigan University Students (Kalamazoo Community) How they interact with the event: • Play sets of volleyball for team rankings and in bracket tournament • Eat at food truck • Join with friends in cheering on their team Features provided for this group: • Food Truck • Tables/chairs • Mud • Prizes What other event(s) is a direct competitor? • College Football on TV Benefits provided to How are the this group: competitors interacting • Ability to receive w/target audience? a sense of worth • College Football by giving back to offers changes for those less students to be on fortunate TV • The ability to • College Football compete with has already friends on other designated teams in a fun rivalries between and different way teams • Learning of • College Football Unique Position Statement 1-­‐2 words that defines your event from the competition. An interactive sporting event that provides friendly competition while supporting charity Summation – one sentence Who do you serve? Targeted to young adults 18-­‐24, college students, lower income, looking to use their newfound independence with friends at an event that helps a good cause but also provides a good time 2-­‐5 words that encourage people to attend (call to action) Enjoy quality time with friends while participating in an event that allows you to “Get Dirty, to Get Clean” water for those in need What benefit does your event provide? The benefit of creating a new and different memory for friends to have in their college experience while creating a sense of charity in their life. 45 | P a g e What they want from the event: • Memories of friends that will last through the college years • A good time on a sunny Saturday with no other on-­‐
campus activities going on different places in Kalamazoo that donated to the prizes for each group What this group takes away from the event (what they care about and their memories) • A bonding experience between friends • A sense of charity from giving back to those less fortunate can be linked to fantasy football stats How do you differentiate from the competition? • Charitable donation • Opportunity to be outside and away from college • Involvement with the event 3 Things that would prevent them from coming to your event. • No money to pay registration fee • Lack of transportation off campus • Leaving Kalamazoo for the weekend What unique single benefit does your event provide? Creating a bond between friends that will last through college years in an event that in unlike the typical event that attracts stereotypical college students. 46 | P a g e Appendix P Marketing and Advertising Tactics Audience/Who? • Community members and WMU students • This audience enjoys staying physically active and involved • Want to share time family and friends • Students: 18-­‐
24 Community Members: 15-­‐
17, 30-­‐50 • College Degrees • Southwest Michigan Residents Audience/Who? • WMU Students • Independent and want to stay active and involved • Spend time with friends outside of school • 18-­‐24 year olds • College Students • Southwest Marketing Goals/Why? • Promote the tournament to students and community members • Promote the event date, the tournament, and The Water Project non-­‐
profit organization Marketing Goals/Why? • Use Twitter to connect with interested students before the event to encourage teams • Use Facebook to connect with attendees to get teams and volunteers Traditional Marketing Strategies Objectives/SMART/What Tactics/How & When • Increase attendance • Design at event by 10% postcard flyers that can be • Increase awareness distributed on of The Water Project campus for • Encourage team Bronco Bash registrations and throughout the community • Design and distribute posters and billboards throughout the Kalamazoo community and in Western’s campus • Design a threefold brochure on the event that will be distributed at all sponsor locations Social Media Strategies Objectives/SMART/What Tactics/How & When • Post about event and • Feature Twitter promotional events posts before leading up to the event to get tournament (i.e. teams excited Bronco Bash) • Encourage additional team • Direct people to event website for registration registration and through FB and organizational Twitter posts information • Ensure event website is up to • Generate information on the event to date at all times spread the word • Create a FB post plan for band to • Weekly post on FB detailed information keep FB Success Metric/ROI • Ask teams and event attendees how they heard about the tournament • 5% higher attendance Success Metric/ROI • Increase event awareness by 50% • Increase team registration by 5% • 20% increase in FB friends 47 | P a g e Michigan Residents on event to increase page traffic followers up to date 48 | P a g e Appendix Q Flyer, Campus Handout, Brochure 49 | P a g e 50 | P a g e Appendix R Website 51 | P a g e 52 | P a g e 53 | P a g e Appendix S Registration Email Registration Email with Rules and Regulations Attached:
Thank you for beginning the registration process for Western Michigan University's first EVER Mud Volleyball
Tournament! Just one more step and your registration process will be complete. Please be on the look out for
a PayPal invoice emailed to the account you provided, this will be how you pay your teams $50 registration
fee. This fee is non-refundable and must be completed in one transaction by one team member. Please also
respond to this email with the name of your team members.
Some additional details about the event are as follows. The first games will begin at 10:00am on Saturday,
September 26, 2015. Registration for all teams will begin at 9:00am, please have all of your team members at
the Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds by no later than 9:30am or your team may be disqualified. All team
members must be wearing shoes before, during, and after all games.
Please also note that alcohol is strictly prohibited on Fairgrounds property. Anyone caught with alcohol will be
escorted off the property. Food will be available for purchase throughout the day from food vendors, please
bring cash.
A water clean-up station will also be available for your use after games, please remember to bring your own
towels. Attached to this email you will find a complete list of rules and regulations for mud volleyball, it is our
suggestion that you review it before coming to play on Saturday September 26th.
Don't forget to invite your friends to watch, and stop by our booth at Bronco Bash to win a prize!
Thank you for your registration!
Your Mud Volleyball Tournament Coordinators
Week of Event Reminder Email with Map of Fairgrounds to Event Parking: Dear Team Captains,
First thank you for participating in WMU’s first EVER Mud Volleyball Tournament! We are very appreciative of
your time and willingness to help with such a great cause. Just a few reminders for the event:
1) Please arrive to the fairgrounds on Saturday, September 26th at 9am to begin registration. Please remember
all team members must arrive by 930am or your team may be disqualified. Registration will be followed by a
quick meeting to give you some more information on how the day will progress with the first game beginning at
10am.
2) Please be aware that this is a MUD Volleyball Tournament, therefore it is very possible you will get dirty.
Dress for the occasion. There is a shower clean off area, but you MUST BRING YOUR OWN TOWEL. We
also suggest a change of clothes.
3) The Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds and Expo Center is located at:
2900 Lake St.
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
There is a map also attached to this email to point out where exactly the event is going to be held at the Expo
Center and Fairgrounds. You can also look for signs pointing you in the right direction and parking attendants
in bright blue shirts!
4) There will be a Bomba's Bar-B-Que food truck at the event, we expect this event to go into the afternoon/
early evening. Please make sure to plan money accordingly.
If you have any additional questions feel free to reach out by email or phone (616.295.3911).
Autumn Gammon
Event Coordinator 54 | P a g e Appendix T Waiver/ Release of Liability 55 | P a g e Appendix U Rules & Regulations ***Games consist of 3 sets, first two played to 21 points and third played to 15 points. All games must be won by 2 points with a 25 points cap. Teams will switch sides of the court after every set. 1. All judge’s decisions are final. No protests are allowed. 2. Maximum of 6 players on the court at one time. Rosters are limited to 8 players. 3. Players may only sign one roster and play on one team throughout the tournament. The WMU Mud Volleyball Tournament Director is the only one who may make exceptions. All players must sign a waiver before playing. After signing waiver all players will be given a wristband. No person will be allowed onto courts without said wristband. 4. Players may wear any type of shoes they decide, bare feet is also acceptable as long as the player acknowledges that there may be stones or rocks in the mud. 5. All Jewelry (watches, rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc.) shall be removed. 6. The tournament will consist of a double elimination bracket. All games will use rally scoring. 7."Ball On" will only be called if the ball interferes with play or if the ball becomes a safety hazard. 8. Referee and Scorekeeper for each match will be provided by the Tournament Director. The scorekeeper is responsible for getting the score sheet before the match starts. The WINNING TEAM is responsible for bringing the score sheet to the registration tent. 9. Blocking or attacking a serve is not allowed. First violation by a team in a game will be a warning resulting in a replay. Subsequent violations will result in a point being awarded to the serving team. 10. All substitutions must be made into serving position. Subs will leave the game from the front right position. Substitutes will enter into the back right position just prior to serving. Not all players are required to sub OUT, and players may substitute back IN, in any order. 11. Players will rotate clock-­‐wise before each serve. 12. Any method may be used to serve the ball, as long as the ball is obviously hit and not thrown. 13. Players must keep proper relative position before each serve. 14. If the ball hits a pole or its support cables, it is "OUT". If the ball hits the net or the net cables on a serve, it is "OUT". On a return of serve and thereafter, if the ball hits the net or the net cables it is still "IN PLAY". 15. All net violations will be called. Hair touching is not a violation. Clothing touching is a violation. 56 | P a g e 16. If the ball hits mud before hitting solid ground, it's "IN". Referee makes final call. 17. Serves will be made from behind the rear court boundary line. If, in the referee's judgment the server is too far out of position, the serve will be replayed. 18. Players may not enter another court during, before, or after an attempt to play the ball. Players can play, but not attack, serve or spike the ball from outside the court. 19. Players may not reach across the net to attack a ball. Players may reach across the net to block a ball, provided that attacking team does not have a play on the ball or has used their three team hits. 20. Each team is allowed two 30 second timeouts per game. 21. Max of 3 team hits per side. A block does NOT count as hit. 22. The ball may be played by any part of the body, as long as it is not held or thrown. Obvious carries or lifts should be called. Double hits are not allowed. 23. Incidental contact under the net is not a fault. Players may cross under the net as long as they don’t interfere with players on the opposing team. The opposing player does not have to be making a play on the ball for there to be interference. Interference will be determined by the referee. 24. Players will park inside the gate and have bags inspected before entry into event area. Any team with contraband will be immediately disqualified & forfeit registration fees. 25. Most importantly have fun and practice good sportsmanship. Remember: All teams must arrive, sign in and have waiver signed by all players and be ready to stir the courts by 9:30 AM. Meeting will follow and we will start promptly at 10:00 AM. 57 | P a g e Appendix V Lee Honors College Letter 58 | P a g e Appendix W GoFundMe Page 59 | P a g e